George F. Grant papers, 1973-1985

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Grant, George F.
Title
George F. Grant papers
Dates
1973-1985 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.8 linear feet
Collection Number
2507
Summary
The George F. Grant papers consist of audio cassettes, correspondence, slides, articles, and miscellaneous material relating to George F. Grant or the publication of his newsletter, "The River Rat." Most of the material was gathered by Dan Abrams while working with Grant on documenting his life and work, including correspondence and 35 mm color transparency slides of Grant taken in 1982 and 1985. An incomplete collection of Grant's personal file of "The River Rat" is also included.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

George F. Grant (September 18, 1906-November 2, 2008) was an angler, fly tier, author, and conservationist. Born and raised in Butte, Montana, Grant completed a business school course in 1924 and undertook clerical work as a career prior to World War II. He developed a passion for fly fishing, especially on the Big Hole River, and commercially produced his custom-made flies for commercial sale. He also patented a fly design method in 1939. Grant authored two books (Master Fly Weaver, 1971; Montana Trout Flies, 1972) and published many articles and essays in local newspapers, various angler magazines, as well as his self-published newsletter "The River Rat." Grant also worked tirelessly for the conservation and cleanup of the Clark Fork and Big Hole rivers in Montana and established a foundation in 1988 to continue his work on the Big Hole River.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The George F. Grant papers consist of audio cassettes, correspondence, slides, articles, and miscellaneous material relating to George Grant's life and the publication of his newsletter, "The River Rat." Most of the material was gathered by Dan Abrams while working with Grant on documenting his life and work, including correspondence and 35mm color transparency slides of Grant taken in 1982 and 1985. An incomplete collection of Grant's personal file of "The River Rat" is also included. The cassette tape recordings consist primarily of Grant narrating the articles he wrote for his newsletter, intended to be used as audio productions for fishing organizations. Tapes 1-4 are the original and edited version of an in-depth interview of George Grant by Dan Abrams in 1983.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The George F. Grant papers were donated to Montana State University by Dan Abrams of Forest, Virginia in March 2008.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2008 October 29

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Book reviews and newspaper articles on or by George Grant
1 2 Correspondence between George Grant and Daniel Abrams 1981-1985
1 3 Transcript of Daniel Abrams interview of George Grant 1983 February 23
1 4 Miscellaneous material relating to the publication of "The River Rat"
1 5 Statistical data, biographical materials, and personal statements for George Grant
1 6 Slides of George Grant taken by Daniel Abrams 1982, 1984
1 7-13 The River Rat 1973-1979
Cassette
2 1 Original dictation cassette of Daniel Abrams with George Grant part 1
2 2 Original dictation cassette of Daniel Abrams with George Grant part 2
2 3 Daniel Abrams Interview of George Grant part 1
2 4 Daniel Abrams Interview of George Grant part 2
2 5 A New Zealand Gentleman — A letter from Henry Heath / Taylor, Arthur M. — The dry fly down under
2 6 Allenspur Dam / Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
2 7 The Backwoods Flytier / Western Big River Fly Fishing
2 8 Big Hole River / Rehicle Dam
2 9 Dan Bailey (Famous Flytier) / The A. S. Trude Trout Fly and Western Wet Flies
2 10 Don Martinez (Famous Flytier) / Dangers on Western Rivers
2 11 Ellsworth Cardy / King of the River
2 12 The End of the Rainbow / The Wonderful Wild Brown Trout
2 13 Franz B. Pott (Famous Flytier) / How Not to Write a Book
2 14 Goodbye to the North Fork / Farewell to the Lower Madison
2 15 Roderick Haig-Brown / Montana Fly Fishing History
2 16 Journeys into the Past / A Conservation Essay
2 17 Montana Odyssey / A Little Bird Told Me
2 18 Reville or Requiem / Sagebrush Rip-off [Rebellion]
2 19 River Rat #1 / River Rat #2
2 20 River Rat #3 / Tackle Counter Tales
2 21 Scales and Tales / Autumn Trout
2 22 The Vibert Box #1 / The Vibert Box #2
2 23 Western Style Dry Fliers / Pin Shaped Nymph Bodies
2 24 Wise River Flood / Rocky Mountain Whitefish
2 25 Woven Hair Hackle #1 / Paradise Lost
2 26 Woven Hair Hackle #2 / Trout Stream Value
2 27 Yellowstone River #1 / Charlie Cook's Big Trout
2 28 Yellowstone River #2 / Fragments of Fly History
2 29 Wild Trout Confessions / Confessions of an Addict

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Conservation of natural resources-Montana
  • Conservationists--Montana
  • Fishers--Montana
  • Fly fishing
  • Fly tyers--Montana
  • Fly tying
  • River rat
  • Stream conservation-Clark Fork (Mont. and Idaho)
  • Stream conservation-Montana-Big Hole River

Personal Names

  • Abrams, Dan
  • Grant, George F-Archives

Geographical Names

  • Big Hole River (Mont.)
  • Clark Fork (Mont. and Idaho)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Audiocassettes
  • Newsletters
  • Slides (Photography)

Kim Allen Scott, 2008. Updated by Heather Mulliner, 2022.
2022

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